Last



Patented July 30, 1929.

Uh-llTED STATES ARTHUR C. MURPHY, OF HAVERH'ILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST.

Application filed September This invention relates to lasts for bootsand shoes, and more particularly to the bot tom plates therefor.

' t is an object of the invention to facilitate the making of repairs tocertain tack receiving portions of a last which are limited in areas,and which require frequent repairs to keep the last in usable condition.

It is a further object of the invention to accomplish the above resultin a simple and inexpensive manner, and by the use of which, lasts whichrequire such repairs may have them made at the shoe factory by cheaplabor, thus saving the time and expense of shipping them to a lastfactory to have them made by high cost labor.

It will be understood that lasts intended for certain classes of workhave metallic plates secured. to the bottoms thereof which have holestherein exposing small areas of the last into which tacks are driven totemporarily secure portions of a shoe, such the inner sole, to the last.

The small areas of wood thus exposed soon becomes so badly mutilated bythe repeated driving of tacks thereinto that the last becomes uselessuntil such time as the mutilated part is removed and a plug or dowel ofwood is inserted in place thereof.

Heretofore when'lasts required this sort of repair they were laid asideuntil a sufficient quantity had collected to warrant shipping them to alast factory to have the Work done, which meant the loss of the use ofthe lasts for indefinite periods plus the cost of making therepairs,'and consequently a surplus supply of lasts had to be kept onhand. for use while repairs were being made to others.

In the present instance the repairing tory, without sending them to alast factory,

thus saving the time and cost which would be incurred, and obviating thenecessity of a surplus supply of lasts to take the place of thosewaiting to be shipped to the last factory and those being repaired, asis at present the case.

Other objects of the invention will be fully understood from adescription of the drawings and the claims hereinafter given.

Of the drawing.

Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal 23, 1926. Serial No.137,346.

section through the heel portion of a last. having the inventionappliedthereto.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View of the heel portion of a last showing ametallic plate thereon. V y

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 1slhoyving a plug about to beinserted in the ee Y Figure 4 is a view showing the preliminary step tobe taken in removing a mutilated plug from the heel.

Like characters represent like. parts throughout the several figures ofthe drawing.

Referring to the drawing.

The drawing herewith illustrates the heel portion of a last having ametallic plate secured to the bottom thereof, but it will be understoodthat the plate might be extended to include the fore part as well, andtherefore it is not the intention to limit the invention to the preciseconstructioniand arrangement shown as changes might be made thereinwithout departing from its spirit and scope.

In the present instance the heel portion 10 of the body of the last hasthe usual metallic plate 11- secured. thereto by the nails 12. i

As is well known the plate 11 is attached to the last for the purpose ofclinching nails during certain operation of shoe building, and for thepurpose of temporarily securing an inner sole to the last the plate hashad a hole punched approximately centrally thereof to expose a smallarea of the-last bottom which receives the securing tacks for the innersole. y i v This area is quite small,and repeated driv .ing of tacksthereinto very soon mutilates the wood to such extent that the tackswill not hold, and repairs must be made.

Heretofore it has been necessary to send me lasts which have beenmutilated, as above referred to, to a last factory where the mutilatedportion was bored out, and a plug or dowel was inserted in the boredhole, and held therein by glue.

Generally the lasts which need such repairs are laid aside, until quitea number has accumulated when they are sent away for that purpose,meanwhile other lasts must be on hand to take their places which meansextrat expense, and the loss of the use of the lasts from the time theyare laid aside until they are returned ready to use again.

Apparently the operation of repairing was one that did not appeal to theshoe manufacturers as it entailed a careful op eration of boringthelast, and a subsequent 7 one of gluing a plug or dowel in the boredhole.

The present invention including the usual metallic plate having a holepunched centrally thereof butvin place of a smooth walled hole, thisholeis arranged to present a plurality of mwardly extending points to v thenumber desired, as seen in Figure 2 of the drawing.

In applying the invention it is preferred to bore the hole 13, in thebottom of the last, of a size equivalent to the diameter of the hole inthe plate or a trifle less, at the base of the inwardly extendingpoints, and then securing the plate 11 to the last, and thereafterdriving a dowel or plug 14 into the last leaving its outer end flushwith the said plate.

For the best results the dowel 14 will be approximately the diameter ofthe hole 13 so that when it is driven into the hole the projectingpoints 15 will be, to some extent, embedded in it thus affording anexcellent plug'or dowel retaining means which effectively obviates thenecessity of gluing the plug in place.

It willbe understood that the number of inwardly projecting points orthe shape or I location thereof is immaterial so long as meansisprovided at the wall or edges .of the hole in the plate to engage thedowel or plug and prevent it from being dislodged in the ordinary use ofthe last or through shrinkage of the dowel.

.If desired the said points may be bent laterally and inwardly of theplate 11 to form hooks or barbs to thus permit ofthe comparatively easypassage of the dowel when being driven into the hole of the last,

and because of the barb like hooks, effectively prevent the withdrawalthereof.

' When a dowel has become mutilated to r such extent that the lastbecomes unusable it may be very readily removed by unskilled labor atthe shoe factory "at a very slight expenditure of time, andthe lastagain returnedto its work thus saving the loss of its use for extendedor indefinite periods.

To remove the mutilated dowel a hole Will be bored in it as seen inFigure 4 of the drawing, and thereafter a pointed instrument will beinserted between the periphery thereof and the wall of the hole of theplate 11 thus breaking down the shell 14* which was once the dowel 14 bywhich means it may be readily and quickly 'removed' from the hole 18 insections after which a new dowel will be driven into place and the lastis then ready'for use insofar as that portion of it is concerned.

The means for retaining the dowel in its place obviates the necessity ofthe gluing operation which is a messy one, anddelays the return of thelast for use until the glue has set to properlyretain the dowel inplace.

The operation of boring the mutilated plug, removing it, andsubstituting a new one requires but a few moments of time and may beaccomplished by cheap labor with simple tools such as a drill, sharppointed tool, and a hammer.

dowel driven into said aperture and cavity with its outer end flush withthe outer side of said plate.

2. A last constructed in accordance with claim 1 and wherein said pointsare bent inwardly toward said cavity.

Signed by me at Haverhill, Massachusetts, this 21st day of September,1926.

, ARTHUR' C. MURPHY.

